Friday, October 16, 2009

Wealth

I am currently reading through 1 Timothy 6. I invite you to open your Bible and read along with me or find it online here. Today, Paul offers a helpful equation.



1 Timothy 6

6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.

7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.

8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.



Wealth. As a former math student and teacher, I love equations. Paul, in these verses, offers a great one ... true godliness + contentment = great wealth. Part of God’s goal, for our journey as Jesus followers, is changing the way we evaluate life. If we view life the way the world does, wealth is a physical issue ... money, homes, cars, clothes. According to God, wealth is actually a combination of spiritual and emotional issues ... living a life that honors God and experiencing an attitude of contentment. Are there any other areas of your life in which you are using the wrong equation to evaluate success?

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Respect

In case you hadn’t noticed, I have made a slight change to the blog. Instead of listing an entire passage, I am simply highlighting the one or two verses that stand out to me as I read through a book. I encourage you to open your Bible and read along with me. I am currently in 1 Timothy 6. You can find an online link to that chapter here. Today, Paul offers Timothy some instruction that would seem to be irrelevant for us.


1 Timothy 6

1 All slaves should show full respect for their masters so they will not bring shame on the name of God and his teaching.

2 If the masters are believers, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. Those slaves should work all the harder because their efforts are helping other believers who are well loved.



Respect. Dr. Thomas Constable writes, “What Paul said to slaves here is applicable to employees today.” That thought changed my perspective on these verses. I was about to pass over them because they didn’t seem to apply to me. Instead, it has become another reminder that every arena of my life should be a reflection of God ... in my home, with my friends and especially at my work.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Care (Part 2)

This past weekend, Jonathan continued our “Love God. Love People.” series by talking about how we can love people through caring. He mentioned several opportunities for you to get connected with a ministry. I want to make it as easy as possible for you to sign up for one of these opportunities. So, I have listed them all below. Take a minute to read through them. When you find an opportunity you would like to try out, send an email to connect@myeastside.cc that includes your name and that ministry. It's as simple as that.



New Life Furniture - Help move furniture, that has been donated, into apartments of families escaping homelessness.

Saturday October 24th at 8 am.


Matthew 25 Ministries - Help organize and package donated goods that will be distributed all over the world.

Saturday October 24th at 8 am.


Sauls Homeless Shelter - Help prepare and deliver food for residents at a local homeless shelter.

Sunday October 25th at 4:30 pm.


Meals Ministry - Help prepare and deliver food for fellow Eastsiders that have recently been hospitalized.


Help Build Hope: Appalachia - Help repair a home for a family in Virginia.

November 19th - 22nd.


Help Build Hope: Clermont - Help repair a home for a widow in our county.

Saturdays at 8 am.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Care

Today, Paul offers Timothy instructions that provide insight into God’s heart.



1 Timothy 5

3 Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her.

4 But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God.

5 Now a true widow, a woman who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. She prays night and day, asking God for his help.



Care. This is one of the many places where we are instructed, as Jesus followers, to care for people that are “alone in this world”. Our lives (especially our compassion) should be a reflection of God (and His compassion). Is there anyone in “your world” that could use some compassion?

Monday, October 12, 2009

Respectfully

Today, Paul offers Timothy more instruction.



1 Timothy 5

1 Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers.

2 Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters.



Respectfully. I appreciate the relational perspective that Paul offers. We sometimes forget that everyone is someone’s child. More importantly, we forget that everyone is a child of God ... especially when they just cut you off in traffic or “stabbed” you in the back or cheated you in some way. Respect isn’t about them, it’s about us.